Excavating Utopia: Why Archaeologists Should Study “Ideal” Communities of the Nineteenth Century

Author: Tarlow S.

Source: International Journal of Historical Archaeology, Volume 6, Number 4, December 2002 , pp. 299-323(25)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

The study of utopias is riddled with contradictions: we admire and fear them; they are a radical critique of the modernist societies that surround them, and yet they are in some ways the archetypal product of modernity. This paper suggests that studying Utopia could be of value in analyzing some of the complexities and contradictions of Western society and ideology in the nineteenth century, as well as causing us to question some of the preconceptions we regularly bring to the study of the archaeological past. Finally I will suggest that a different kind of nineteenth century, one which includes the radical dissent and resistance of utopian thinkers and experimenters, provides a strong basis for a critique of the social values of modern capitalism.

Keywords: utopia; nineteenth century; political theory; America

Language: English

Document Type: Commentary

Affiliations: 1: School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom; sat12@le.ac.uk

Publication date: 2002-12-01